Incorporating Social Equity in Transit Service and Capital Planning: A Preemptive Analysis of Preliminary Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Design in King County, Washington

Abstract

This study presents an approach for the evaluation of the equity of transportation investments in King County, Washington, with attention to upgrades of existing routes to new “bus rapid transit” service. A review of philosophical and economic literature provides a theoretical foundation, while existing policy and law establishes a regulatory and practical framework that bounds this work. The author is particularly concerned with the extent to which service and capital investments for bus rapid transit expansion in southern King County can be integrated and evaluated across socioeconomic user groups. This study attempts to answer this question by employing a series of quantitative models that include network analysis, transportation gap analysis, and life-cycle cost analysis to evaluate transit equity in southern King County, and specifically along the proposed RapidRide I Line bus rapid transit corridor. Ultimately, the study seeks to balance the ever-competing dimensions of efficiency and equity as they manifest in transit service implementation and offer a novel measurement tool that can ultimately inform route alignment.